See the Surprisingly Smooth Landing of This Ultralight Aircraft After Its Engine Dies Over Woods

47

Shares

Email this story to a friend

Flying in an open, ultralight aircraft, exposed to the elements, is pretty noisy with the wind whipping by and the roar of the engine. And while a pilot might wish for some peace and quiet as he or she glides above forests or farmland, the sound of the engine cutting out might not be as welcome as as they previously thought.

This is just what happened to the pilot featured in a recent video posted on LiveLeak. The camera on board the aircraft seating two individuals (one we later find out is named Kathy) shows the fall colors of the trees well below and even records the moment when the engine fails. The pilot then searches for a road, which he thankfully finds and lands, steering them into the trees.

Engine fails at about this height over the trees. (Image: Youtube screenshot)

Oh good. There’s the road. (Image: Youtube screenshot)

Touching down safely. (Image: Youtube screenshot)

“Kathy, you’re OK?” the pilot asks his passenger several times. She doesn’t respond, seeming either in shock or a bit miffed.

And into the trees. Here’s Kathy. (Image: Youtube screenshot)

Watch the “hair-raising” video and see if you can hear when the engine fails (Warning: Some strong language):

Although we can’t confirm when or where this incident happened, a YouTube search for ultralight engine failure makes it seem like it’s more common than you might think.

In this one the engine fails just after a minute into the clip and the pilot lands with a thud on the ground. Both the passengers walk away unhurt:

The engine on this ultralight begins sputtering 15 seconds into the clip and goes completely off before 25 seconds: